It pays to be on the Banking Committee, especially as Congress prepares to overhaul the financial regulatory system. Twelve of the largest recipients of donations from the financial, real estate and insurance industries sit on the Senate Banking Committee, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) has received more than $100,000 from finance companies – the eighth most of any senator. Bennett says lobbyists have tried to twist his arm, but, according to him, he resists the pressure.

“I believe probably every senator has had the experience, of having people who have given campaign contributions because they’ve approved of my positions, come to me and ask me to do things that are then not appropriate," says Bennett. "And I’ve told them, what you are asking for is not appropriate.”

Bill Allison, an analyst for the Sunlight Foundation, says access and secrecy are the biggest problems with campaign donations, because many lawmakers, like Bennett, hold closed door fundraisers. Lawmakers do not have to disclose which lobbyists attend or what they discuss, just how much they donate.

"When you are looking at campaign contributions they almost always flow from a particular industry to those committees that have oversight of them. And you end up with a very close relationship with those that Congress is supposed to be regulating and overseeing and those being overseen," says Allison.

"I think this is what creates a huge problem is that members end up spending a lot of time with lobbyists and donors from these industries and hearing their concerns, but what they don't hear are the concerns of the general public," says Allison.

And if you look at the numbers, Banking Chairman Chris Dodd rakes in the third most donations from financial firms. He's got a tough re-election battle and needs cash. As the regulatory overhaul comes up, hopefully he'll be able to resist the temptation to cave to his donor's concerns.

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If you have a comment or suggestion, please e-mail me at mlaslo@cncnews.org.